Nutrition 101
By Gareth Ramsden (BSc Hons)

Nutrition is an aspect which is often overlooked when individuals train and have goals. There is a common mindset that exercise is in fact more important in terms of progression as opposed to good nutrition. In reality, nutrition is the foundations of progress, with exercise complimenting that sound nutritional approach.

There are very simple changes which can be made to your diet, which are further discussed within this article, which will then become a lifestyle, rather than a
change of diet.

Many people in the modern world are guilty of wanting results too quickly, which tends to leave people resorting to fad diets and crash diets, in order to see the scales plummet. However, this yo-yo dieting is not advisable, and in reality, progress is limited as the individuals weight will go down, back up, go down and back up. A sound nutritional approach will yield progress for a long period of time with solid, attainable results.

For the athlete, it is important to ensure there is an adequate intake of protein, carbohydrate and fats, geared towards individual goals, in order to improve performance and also overall health and fitness.

There are many energy systems that the body has available, all utilising different fuels as a substrate. A functional fitness trainer will use all of those energy systems during their training, therefore a sound nutritional approach with protein, carbs and fats in the correct ratio, will increase performance.

Protein
Proteins are the building blocks for growth and repair. Athletes need a higher intake of protein as opposed to an individual who is sedentary. Exercise breaks down muscle tissue, which is then repaired via dietary protein. Excellent choices of protein are –

eggs
fish
steak
whey protein powders
turkey
some cheeses (be careful of fat intake)
quorn.


Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are important within the diet as glycogen is the preferred energy source of the body. When any form of starchy carb or simple carb is consumed by an individual, they body breaks it down into sugar. Glycogen is a form of energy store within the body. When the bloodstream has too much sugar, it converts it to glycogen, this is to regulate blood sugars levels. Carbohydrates tend to be classified by 2categories, simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates tend to be released in to the blood stream quicker than complex carbohydrates due to their chemical structure.

However, this is not always the situation, for example, dextrose is a simple carbohydrate and maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate. Maltodextrin has a very similar chemical structure to dextrose, with only 1 structural difference, and is released into the bloodstream at the same rate as dextrose, however, it is still classed as a complex carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are important for the athlete as they provide energy for the body to use at rest and also during exercise. High intensity exercise relies more on carbohydrates as the presence of oxygen is not needed in order to utilise the carbohydrates.

The choice of carbohydrates for the athlete, depend on timing and also activity. However, try to include the following as the majority of your carbohydrate intake…

rice
pasta
rice cakes
wholemeal bread
wholemeal pitta
oats
potatoes
cous cous

Strive to eliminate sugars from table sugar on cereals, sugary foods like sweets, desserts, and from some sports drinks (when sugars are not needed).

Fats
Fat helps to provide energy whilst the individual is sedentary and also fat is used and oxidised as an energy source during low intensity exercise. There must be oxygen present in order for fat to be oxidised by the body and utilised as a fuel source.

Try and reduce the intake of saturated, trans fats and also oxidised fats within your diet. Too much saturated fats within the diet can lead to a rise in total cholesterol for those individuals. The body does need some saturated fats, however, a moderate consumption could lead to cholesterol complications. High cholesterol can potentially lead to Coronary Heart disease,increased risk of strokes and heart attacks and also Atherosclerosis, which is when the artery walls thicken as a result of fatty acid being deposited inside.

Saturated fat is harder for the body to oxidise in comparison to unsaturated fats, due to the presence of hydrogen atoms within the saturated fats. This leads to a result in the potential for more saturated fat to be stored by the body, as opposed to unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found in butter, cream, lard, full fat milk, etc… and should be limited within the diet.

Unsaturated fats provide the body with essential fats that the body does not generate. The fatty acids are stripped and utilised by the body, and the fat is used for energy. Unsaturated fats are a great way to get essential fats into the diet, foods such as oily fish, avocados,nuts and seeds and some oils.

Omega 3, 6 and 9 intake is very important in order to achieve an optimal level of health. Omega 3 and 6are important for the health and well being of the human body, especially omega3, as it has been proven within studies, that omega 3 can lead to a lower risk of heart disease.

Other benefits include –
Increase in performance and stamina
Improved digestion
Improved recovery
Increased strength of the immune system
Improved brain function.

Many people fail to include omega 3 sources within the diet, therefore more oily fish, fish oils, flax oil,flax seeds, etc… would be a great inclusion into the diet.

Include more 'healthy fats',within the diet from –

Oily fish
fish oils
nuts
seeds
some oils


Fibre
Ensure that fibrous fruit and vegetables are within the diet. They provide fibre, energy and also help to bulk meals out and make the individual feel satiated. A portion of fruit 3-4 times during the day is a good way to get vitamins and minerals into the diet. Adding fibrous vegetables to meals help to bulk the meal out and also help the individual feel more 'full'.

It is important to include vitamins and minerals within the diet as they play an important role in keeping the immune system healthy, fighting off illnesses and also fibre is important as it aids the digestive system.

If fruit and vegetables are not included within the diet, then a supplement (multivitamin) is a very good inclusion.

Alcohol
One of the many ways people in society these days, try to relax, is by having a drink of alcohol, be it beer, wine, or spirits. However, it is becoming increasingly popular to binge on alcohol, rather than have 1-2 drinks during the week. Alcohol leads to dehydration within the body, which for an athlete is detrimental to their performance.

Alcohol has been shown to be one of few substances which can directly lay down adipose tissue to the stomach area. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is only 2 calories less than fats,therefore, it is easy to see that if a binge takes place, a lot of calories are consumed.

Other complications of alcohol consumption for an athlete can include –

Reduction in fat burning until the alcohol has been eliminated from the body
Lower growth hormone production
Lower testosterone levels
A rise in oestrogen levels

If you must have a drink during the week, limit it to 1-2 drinks, possibly as a treat at the weekend,however, curtail the drinking at that point as the above highlights the negative effect alcohol has on the body.

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